Honoring Royal Summer in New York with UK-Themed Ice Cream

As millions around the globe begin the Royal Summer with street parties for the Diamond Jubilee, a pair of New York sweet shops are bringing some UK flair to a popular summer dessert.

The Upper East Side-based London Candy Company and the Midtown ice cream shop je & jo have joined forces to deliver an array of ice cream flavors that nod to Mother England. Some of the flavors include Earl Grey Tea with shortbread, Banana English Toffee, Crunchie Cup (honey ice cream with bit of Crunchie Bar) and Jaffa Cup (which is orange ice cream with orange zested cookie dough).

Our BBC America test group received some samples, contained in small paper cups capped with tabbed lids and tiny wooden spoons. Taking our duties very seriously, we dug in and discovered some standouts. Earl Grey tea, which has a bitterness and a funk that I’ve typically found unappealing, surprisingly works well as an ice cream flavor, with the nuggets of shortbread adding bits of sweetness. The Banana English toffee flavor earned the greatest raves; my colleague even said, “This is the best ice cream I’ve ever tasted.” The Crunchie Cup is lovely, but the Jaffa Cup elicited the least enthusiastic response. je & jo indeed specializes in cookie dough, which can quite addictive, but the texture of the ice cream itself has a luxurious creaminess worthy of the royals.

Kevin Wicks

Kevin Wicks founded BBCAmerica.com's Anglophenia blog back in 2005 and has been translating British culture for an American audience ever since. While not British himself—he was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri—he once received inordinate hospitality in London for sharing the name of a dead but beloved EastEnders character. His Anglophilia stems from a high school love of Morrissey, whom he calls his "gateway drug" into British culture.